1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data communication apparatus, exemplified by an image communication apparatus that has a function to designate a destination by an e-mail address and transmit an image via internet.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, image communication apparatuses are introduced, with a function that can perform facsimile communication via internet in addition to via public phone line.
Conventionally, for such image communication apparatus, it is necessary to input an e-mail address for designating a designation when the facsimile communication is performed via internet. Such e-mail addresses, for example, ‘HYPERLINK“mailto:abc@def.panasonic.co.jp”abc@def.panasonic.co.jp’, consist of an “at mark” (@), a “username” (abc) preceding the @, and a “domain name” (def.panasonic.co.jp) succeeding the @. As for domain names, a “co-domain name”, used for a regular company, is usually assigned to each company. A user name is assigned to each individual who belongs to the company.
Such e-mail addresses are different from phone numbers that are made merely with numbers; they usually include extensive strings of combinations of alphabets, numbers, and symbols such as “- (hyphen)”. Therefore, it is very complicated to input the same and is easy to make input errors with.
Especially, image communication apparatus with a function to transmit images via internet using an e-mail address to designate a destination on a facsimile apparatus, usually do not have as enough space for each alphabet key as in computer keyboards, but rather use numeric keys for numeric input or an input panel for one-touch key input to input alphabets. Consequently, inputting alphabets tends to become even more complicated.
A conventional art to simplify e-mail address input suggests to pre-register frequently used domain names in a memory, so that upon inputting e-mail addresses operators can only input user names, and select one of the registered domain names (Japanese Laid-Open Application 2000-134402, hereinafter described as the prior art).
However, the art mentioned in the prior art above had the following problems.
Even though it was possible to reduce input errors of domain names by omitting the domain name input, user names still contain many alphabets and the character strings are often extensive. Thus, even with the prior art, it was still complicated to input entire e-mail addresses, and it was easy to make errors during the input of the same. Similar problems existed upon registering e-mail addresses as destinations in one-touch key and speed dial systems.
Such problems were common not only to the above-described image communication apparatus, but also to mobile information terminals including mobile phones with a function to transmit character strings, such as e-mail addresses as destinations, via internet.
This invention is provided in view of the above-described problems. The object of the present invention is to provide a data communication apparatus that can eliminate the inconvenience of inputting entire e-mail addresses, and prevent input errors.